Nation eyes 2024 Paralympics

New Delhi | Desk: India eagerly anticipates the 17th edition of the Paralympics, set to take place in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 9.

The Indian contingent will include 84 athletes, accompanied by 95 officials, as many participants will bring their personal coaches to cater to their specific needs.

Among the athletes are 32 women who will compete across various events.

All eyes will be on 17-year-old Sheetal Devi, making her Paralympic debut in the women’s compound open and mixed team compound open events.

Paralympic Committee of India President Devendra Jhajharia, who departed for Paris on Sunday with the contingent, expressed confidence during a media interaction.

“I know every player personally, and based on the hard work they have put in, I am sure we will win more than 25 medals, placing India in the top 20. All our players are strong contenders for medals,” he stated.

Rakshitha Raju, a visually impaired athlete from Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka, has been selected to compete in the Women’s 1500m Running T-11 Category, marking a historic moment as the first Indian female athlete to participate in this category at the Paralympic Games.

In the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, India secured 19 medals, including five gold, eight silver, and six bronze, finishing 24th on the medal table.

India’s first-ever Paralympic medal was won at the 1972 Games when Murlikant Petkar clinched gold in the 50m freestyle 3 event with a then-world record time of 37.33 seconds.